Close to 600 babies saved and several medical camps conducted — Heal A Child, a non-profit organisation in the city, has indeed managed to make an impact. Founder Sabina Xavier and the team have been consistently bringing the community together for getting much-needed treatment to terminally ill children whose parents are disadvantaged. They manage to do so by hosting parties, fashion shows and galas that go on to become the talk of the town. “ We have had three events a year and they are all packed. People participate by donating at an event or by sponsoring it,” says the founder, highlighting that the team at HAC truly reflect the Hyderabadi spirit of giving.
At any given event Sabina and the HAC board members — Arun Pillai, Pramod Gaddam, Jayesh Ranjan, Sridevi Jasti, Cass Coulston, Yashwant Jhabakh, Rachna Mehta, Anil Kumar, Caroline Bradshaw, Dinesh Chirla and Kiran Krishnamoorthi — are seen working towards making their social events fun. In their last Annual Fashion Show held recently, they raised more than Rs 30 lakh. “From nine years ago when we started to the recent discharge of a child last week — nothing has moved me futher than seeing the happiness on the parent’s face,” says the former student of St Francis Degree College, Begumpet. The fact that HAC has been consistent with these drives means that illnesses are treated immediately before they escalate to anything bigger. The children are healthier and rates of adoption have gone up. So, the impact has been quite substantial. Taking us back that started it all, Sabina says, in May 2010, her mother informed her about an announcement in the local church about a six-month-old baby who was on the ventilator in Rainbow Hospital for three weeks and the parents couldn’t afford his treatment anymore. They were behind on the bills by `80,000. “That evening, I sent out a few emails and texts, and in a day I had raised about Rs 2.5 lakh for baby Kevin,” shares Sabina, adding, “What really struck me was how people were so willing and ready to help.” Since the conception of HAC, one of the best parts has been how it managed to unite folks from the city with its events and socials, at the end of the day, all for a cause. And there’s so much more that they have planned!
Just a few days ago, the team started providing donor support to Niloufer Hospital and helped with recruiting the nurses for this unit. Also, they have a host of events lined-up in the next months. Their first event of the year is the costume party and where the guests — read the who’s who of the city — are likely to dress up as their favourite superhero or TV show characters. The funds raised from this event are used for bigger surgeries like liver or kidney transplant. “Everyone who attends this event, supports our cause and all the Hyderabadis who show up are a part of saving this child’s life,” says Sabina.